Card table



Nov. 1, 1932. s ow 1,885,384

I CARD TAB-LE Filed Nov. 4. 1929 Patented Nov. 1, 1932 u iTED QST E PATENT we EUGENE A. snow, or OCEANSIDE, CALIFORNIA CARD T L App1ication filed November 4,1329. Serial No. 404,525.

, It is at present the practice in construct ingcard tables to hinge the legs to the top by means of a pivotal bolt and also to provide a sliding or a hinged diagonal brace that connects the top and the leg atpoints spaced from the pivotal bolt; Various means have been 1 5 provided for insuring the locking ofthe parts in both their opened or closed positions, and

these means are'more or less dependable but they require manipulation to cause the interlocking portions to interengage, which, in

' '20 many instances, causes injury to the users hands while performing such operation.

With my present structure I have provided a comparatively simple combination of parts that effectively maintain the table legs in i proper relation to the table top in their opened and their closed positions and such parts are released merely by theaction' of movingthe leg from one position to the other; In both the opened and the closed positions of the so legs they are maintained in a rigid manner withrespect to the table top and the locking or releasing of the parts in either position is what might be termed automatic'because it requires no manipulation on the part of the *85 user other than to move or swing the leg.

7 Furthermore, I have avoided the use of diagonal braces, or staysof a similar nature,

and the parts are simple in design sothat they will not increase the weight or cost of the card table. j

-I have numerous other objects in View,

among which are the provision of devices of the character described that are novel in the construction and arrangement ofvthe parts, are easy to operate, are effective in performing their functions, and which are economical to produce. I prefer to carry out my invention, and to accomplish the, objects thereof, in substantially the manner hereinafter fully described and as more particularly when in use, at the desired height above'the pointed out in the appended claims, reference being herein made to the accomp auying drawing that forms a part of this specification".

Inthedrawing: i i Figure '1 is a fragmentary sectional View of a corner of afca rd table, showing myfin'veii tion applied thereto, parts of my legeattach ing devices being in side elevation.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 22 of Figure l,'and looking in the directionof the arrows. .5, Figure 3 is a horizontal section on line 3+3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of V the arrows. v

Figure i is anelevational View of the op.- crating face" of the element that is secured to the 16g. 1

Figure 5 is' a similar view in elevation of the element'that is secured to the. table. I

i The drawing is to be understoodas being more or less schematic forthe purpose of illustrating a typicalf or preferred form" in which my invention may be made, and in said drawing similar references'have been employed to designate the same parts-wherever they appear throughout the several views.

In the structure shown in'the drawing the top'ofthe table comprises a flat piece or plate 5 that maybe a veneer or other suitable ina- K H terial that is of rectangular-form a'nd-ofsuch dimensions as may be desired for the'tab'le. The plate5 issecuredby meansof brads or otherwise to an open frame consisting of par allel longitudinal strips 6 and parallel trans? verse strips 7 that are secured providing the supporting railstogether at their ends in any suitable manner. The legs 8 are strips of suit able rectangular cross section and they are of sufficient length to support the table top,

floor. The legs/8 are pivotally 'orhingedly connected to the rails of the frame at the'corners of the table. f V

As the hinging structures at the corners of the table are all similar'a single unit will be described. The hinge element which I pro vide for connecting a leg to the table topi s in the form of a bolt 9, the elongatedshanl; of which'pas'ses transversely through the-ad jacent t'ransverse'strip or frame rail 7 and through the adjacent end of the leg 8. In order to support the inner end of the bolt I mount an angle bracket on the adjacent longitudinal strip or frame rail 6 by means of screws 10. This bracket is preferably a piece of angle metal one member 11 of which engages the inner face of the longitudinal rail 6 and the lateral member 12 of which extends away from the rail and alongside the leg where it is provided with an aperture through which the adjacent end of the bolt 9 passes. A nut 13 secures the parts in assembly. The angle bracket and bolt are mounted on the rail adjacent or at the corner of, the table.

The fiat metal plate 14: is secured longitudinally to the end of the leg 8 and where the said plate is disposed between the rail 7 and the lateral member 12 of the bracket it is provided with an elongated rib or tenon 15 extending longitudinally of the plate upon the surface thereof adjacent or facing the lateral member12 of the bracket. The opposing face of bracket member 12 is provided with a longitudinal groove 16 and a transverse groove 17 that intersect each other at the aperture where the bolt 9 passes through the member. These grooves are preferably of counterpart formation with respect to the rib 15 so that when the leg is in a vertical position to sup port the table top the rib 15 of the plate will be seated in the vertical or transverse groove 17 of the bracket member, and when the leg is folded into a closed or collapsed position the horizontal or longitudinal groove 16 will be engaged by the rib 15 on the leg plate.

The grooves and the rib are of sufficient dimensions to insure a positive locking of the parts when they are interengaged, and in order to yieldably urge the parts into interlocking relation I interpose a spring between the rail carrying the bolt and the leg mounted on said bolt. The yieldable means which I have shown is a coiled expansion spring 18 that is disposed in a pocket 19 formed horizontally in the rail 7 surrounding the bolt 9 and having its open portion facing towards the leg. If desired a washer 20 may be seated in the inner end of the socket 19 and another washer 21 may be placed against the leg during the assembly of the parts. The urge of the spring 18 causes the leg plate 14 to press towards the bracket member 12 and when the rib 1.5 is in either of the grooves 16 or 17' these functions without the use of diagonal braces or similar stays and the legs may be readily manipulated by grasping them, preferably, near their free ends in order to overcome the yieldable interlocking action created by the expansion of the spring which forces the rib 15 into the respective groove. It will be understood, of course, that modifications an angle-bracket one arm of which is secured to a side-rail and theother arm projects therefrom parallel with and spaced from the adjacent side-rail, hinge-bolt extending from said adjacent side-rail through the projecting arm of said bracket, a leg pivotally mounted at one end on said bolt, a latch-plate on the upper portion of said leg with a surface opposed to a surface of the projecting arm of said bracket, a tenon and groove on the opposing surfaces of said arm and plate, and a spring interposed between said leg and said adjacent side-rail for urging the leg structure towards said projecting arm of the bracket. 7

2. The combination with a table having side-rails arranged at angles to each other, of an angle-bracket one arm of which is secured to a side-rail and the other arm projects therefrom parallel with and spaced from the adjacent side-rail, a hingle-bolt extending from said adjacent side-rail through the projecting arm of said bracket, a leg pivotally mounted at one end on said bolt between said projecting arm and said adjacent sided-ail and one of the opposing portions of said elements provided with a recess around said bolt, a latch-plate on the upper portion of said leg witha surface opposing the surface of the projecting arm of said bracket, atenon and groove on the opposing surfaces of said arm and plate, and a coiled expansion spring seatedin said recess and surrounding said bolt and urgingtheleg structure towards said projecting arm to cause interengagement of said tenon and groove.

Signed at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 26th day of July,

EUGENE A. SNOW. 

